Speculative Fiction—an all-encompassing genre created to describe stories of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and other stories that have an element of “What if...” in them. A story in speculative fiction is one that adds an element of the unreal, or asks, what would become of our society if history took a different direction at some important event? Fiction with a little something extra thrown in.—William D. Richards

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Friday, September 30, 2016

It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So
what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of
speculative fiction by indie authors newly published this month, though
some July books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The
books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links
only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future
editions.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Graveyard Shift by Cora Buhlert
While docked at the civilian space station Unity for repairs, the Republic of United Planets battlecruiser Great Endeavour undertakes a trial flight with an inexperienced bridge crew. Disaster strikes and the Great Endeavour crashes into Unity's shopping concourse, killing more than three hundred people.

A
tragic accident, but in times of war, the public is not willing to
accept tragic accidents. And so the Republic's government sends its best
troubleshooter, Colonel Brian Mayhew of the Republican Special Commando
Forces to initiate a cover-up.

This is a novelette of 14100 words or approx. 48 print pages in the In Love and War series, but may be read as a standalone.

Courting Trouble by Cora Buhlert
Once,
Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an
intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run
together.

Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eek out a living on
the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay
under the radar of those pursuing them.

But when Anjali and
Mikhail stumble upon a protection racket during a routine shopping trip,
they have to make a choice: Lay low to avoid attracting attention or
stay true to their personal ethics and intervene?

This is a story of 6700 words or approx. 23 print pages in the In Love and War series, but may be read as a standalone.

Arkadian Skies by Lindsay Buroker
With
the man who kidnapped her daughter imprisoned aboard her ship, Captain
Alisa Marchenko is closer than ever to reuniting her family. But her new
guest has been in a coma for weeks, with the secret to her daughter's
location locked away in his mind. She must find a way to sneak him into a
state-of-the-art hospital on Arkadius, a planet in the heart of
Alliance territory. Not an easy task when she and the cyborg Leonidas,
her most trusted ally, are wanted by the Alliance army.

As if that
mission weren’t daunting enough, the Staff of Lore has appeared on the
planet. As has the man who stole it: Alisa’s father.

Bloodless by Tori CentanniHenri Dunn would love to avoid all vampire bullshit for the foreseeable future, but the universe has other plans.

When an exsanguinated corpse is left in the dumpster behind her
workplace, Henri knows it's a some kind of twisted message meant for
her. It's just not one she can decipher.

In addition to that
terrifying puzzle, Henri's new ex-vampire roommate is not adapting well
to human life and a Cure-obsessed vampire is stalking her. And of
course, her enigmatic vampire sire, Sean, is being his usual elusive and
infuriating self.

When a second body that's been drained of blood
is left in front of Henri's apartment building, it becomes clear that a
vicious serial killer is fixated on her. Using her ability to read
memories in blood, Henri must figure out who's behind these terrible
killings and stop them before she becomes the next victim.

Bloodless is the second installment of The Henri Dunn Urban Fantasy Series, which features a snarky protagonist, intriguing mysteries, a captivating cast of characters, and elements of humor. Book 1, The Immortality Cure, is also available.

Osdal by Michael Chatfield
Masoul
wasn’t just an uprising, it was the starting of a war. Harmony didn’t
start on Masoul; they were using it as a testing ground.

Moretti has a lead on where Harmony might have come from. First they need to defeat Harmony’s forces in Osdal.

Nerva’s
not going to throw his people at Harmony, this is not just a colonist
uprising, this is a well-armed and backed military. They need more
information. It comes down to the Triple-Two’s to find out that
information.
Once again the Victor brothers and their platoon will be right at the heart of Harmony.

Nothing will be the same after Osdal.

Blooded by Shei and Annathesa Nikola Darksbane
Dakota
Shepherd gained Hellfire from a demoness on the day she Awakened. She
never asked for that power, but it worked out well...until the deadly
fire turned against her, forcing her to strike a deal with her even
deadlier benefactor.

A bloody quest. A score unsettled. A lesson finally learned.

Dakota
must recover the demoness’ stolen blood before a thief with
unparalleled power can turn it to his own dark purposes. Even with her
wealthy and powerful girlfriend on her side, Dakota is way out of her
league.

But when a demoness calls, only a dead girl says no.

Repulsive Origins - The Captain by Brian W. Foster
When
a supervillain attacks civilians, the US Army is first on the scene.
Lieutenant Samuel Shields is given the impossible task of protecting
lives and property. His weapons won’t hurt a three-story tall enhanced
hostile, and even if he could figure out a way to take the enemy out,
he’s not allowed to engage under any circumstances. Instead, he must
wait for the so-called superheroes to show up.

Leave it to the politicians to create such a FUBAR situation.

Two
children are put in danger, and Samuel is forced to make a
life-altering decision. If he follows orders, he’ll have the deaths of
two kids on his conscience. But if he disobeys, he risks his life and,
worse, a court martial.

The Night Watch by Chris Gerrib
In
the chaotic and crime-ridden settlement of Boxtown on Mars, Minty
Storey witnesses a bar fight she has no idea will change the course of
her life.

Halfway across the planet, Janet Pilgrim and the
Volunteer Space Rescue Service struggle to do something about the pirate
menace on the spaceways between Earth and Mars.

But the problems
both face are much bigger than pirates and bar fights. When a leader of
Earth's Manifest Destiny movement makes an appearance on Mars, events
begin to roll to a climax that will hold the fate of the planet in the
balance.

One Down by Bryce T. Hughes:
An
impenetrable barrier keeps Earth's ships from leaving. Teams of
specially-trained heroes fly the limited allowed space wiping out the
debris specialists suspect offended an alien force. Separated from her
lover, Jane treasures her team and performs her duty, but she suspects a
lie fuels the international sport. With her friend Julio's life hanging
in the balance, she faces the deadly force penning her planet and
battles the hypocrisy of her government.

This is a LGBT short story with lesbian and gay content, and mild swearing.

After
vanquishing the Last Dragon with the power of her voice, all she wants
is to return to a quiet life of anonymity. Instead, the Emperor assigns
her an onerous task: negotiating with the aggressive Teleri Empire for
the extradition of her cousin, who tried to murder the imperial family
and usurp the Dragon Throne.

The mission reunites her with her
childhood friend Tian, now an assassin-spy who loathes killing. He is no
longer the adorable, gullible boy from her memories, any more than she
is the adventurous, sweet girl from his. Instead of rekindling nostalgia
for a youthful innocence they both yearn for, their reunion ignites a
mutual hatred.

When the Teleri Empire breaks off negotiations,
Tian must help Kaiya escape. Orcs, Ogres, and enemy soldiers stand
between them and home, and their volatile relationship could get them
captured… or killed.

Stem by Aaron D. Lamb
After escaping the extermination of everyone they loved, Rome and Mae seek revenge.

However,
the world outside their city sized prison is too busy to care. They
form a desperate friendship with an unlucky Zoo guide, caught in the
wrong place at the right time. Together they face the forces of a
corrupt government, a sensationalist media, and an apathetic public.

And they only have a week left to live.

Suspenseful, political and awash with colourful characters and epic set pieces. Stem the sequel to sci-fi hit Pollen, builds to a finale that pits hero against hero.

Cargo by V.M. Law
On the Age of Discovery, a massive cargo hauler, Kasey Lee works as a Custodial Technician, essentially a glorified janitor.

When the Ides, a hostile alien race, attacks Earth's outposts, the Age must assist in the war effort.

But
Kasey discovers that there is a conspiracy on board, one which led the
Ides straight to the outposts, and is now pointing them right at Earth.

You Don't Belong Here by Tim Major
Daniel
Faint is on the run with a stolen time machine. As the house-sitter of a
remote Cumbrian mansion, he hopes to hide and experiment with the
machine. But is the Manor being watched by locals, his twin brother or
even himself? Daniel is terrified about what the future may hold but, as
he discovers, there can be no going back.

Once
dubbed "The Deadliest Man Alive," Jarrod Torrealday is a former Olympic
saber hopeful and medieval weapons expert banned from competition for
killing another fencer in a duel. Despondent, volatile, alcoholic, yet
still one of the greatest swordsmen alive, he now works for third-rate
fantasy films as a technical consultant and stuntman.

When Jarrod
accepts the gig of a lifetime from a sorcerer looking for a hero, he
finds himself facing an invading army in a world inhabited by creatures
from Earth's mythical past. He soon learns that the enemy mastermind is
also from Earth, and has laid the foundations for a new kind of war.

Born a Witch... Drafted by the FBI by T.S. Paul
Agatha
Blackmore came into her powers early as a child. Her first spell was a
thing of beauty and wonder. It brought terror into the hearts of her
family. Who wanted to accidentally become a pink chicken? Now that she's
older her magic is out of control. She needs a teacher and none of the
Witch Schools will take her. How about a career in law enforcement? The
FBI needs serious help in catching law breaking Paranormals. It's a
match made in heaven or is it in Hell? God only knows what happens next.

Seb
Varden is starting to get used to life as a World Walker. With a body
full of alien nanotechnology, the ability to travel anywhere instantly
and - most surprising of all - a steady relationship with Meera Patel,
things are finally looking up.

Until Seb has his first blackout,
starts meeting aliens and discovers a plan that threatens the entire
human race. And, of course, Mason, the most dangerous Manna user, picks
this particular moment to come after him and Meera.

Scariest of all, Seb is learning his transformation into a World Walker is far from complete…

Monkeys,
aliens, technology, parallel universes, music, psychopaths, A.I., a
magic tech spider, The Unmaking Engine has it all, including the
explanation of how all life on earth began. Did I mention monkeys?

The Unmaking Engine is book 2 in the The World Walker Series.

The Turncoat Prince by Amelia Smith
Darna
is just a guildswoman, or so she’d like to think, but her alleged
father was the prince of a backwater province. Her uncle assassinated
him to claim the throne, and now he's coming after her.

With
assassins on her heels, Darna takes on a job in the remote province of
Slaradun. The prince is irate to find that this limping woman has
replaced the able-bodied man he hired, but according to the contract,
he’s stuck with her for the season. Darna finds the prince arrogant and
high-handed, but he’s also intelligent and well-read. As winter closes
in on Slaradun keep, late night conversations turn from sea walls to
more intimate territory, and the province’s lost dragon reappears.

This book is the second in the Dragonsfall trilogy. To enjoy it properly, read The Defenders' Apprentice first, and perhaps also the beginning of Darna’s story in the prequel novels, Scrapplings and Priestess.

Phobos Eclipse of the Heart picks up the wild tale where Of Bots and Beans left off.

Follow
the mysterious Participant's continuing misadventures in Sequencing.
Learn about The Scullythorne Thesis, an authoritative document which can
be twisted into providing support for any and every argumentative
perspective. Uncover a nefarious plot to bring down the Dos Boletos
facility. Mourn the tragic end of Sir Francis Buildobare and the loss of
the Vladimarino Gripebagger Expedition. Puzzle over the controversial
Alley Cat Initiative.

When
a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an
archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of
Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes.
His
investigation is interrupted when a mysterious ship attacks the ruins
with weapons only available to the Martian Navy. Despite saving the dig
site, Montgomery is left with more questions than answers.

His
investigations reveal questions about the origin of his magic and his
nation—and lead him back to the one place that should be safe: the court
of the Mage-King of Mars.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with more tributes to Dave Kyle, discussion of the movie The Girl With All the Gifts, lots of awards as well as the usual mix
of writing advice,
interviews, reviews, awards news, con
reports, crowdfunding projects, science articles and free online fiction.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

About The Turncoat Prince:

Darna is just a guildswoman, or so she’d like to think, but her alleged
father was the prince of a backwater province. Her uncle assassinated
him to claim the throne, and now he's coming after her.

With assassins on her heels, Darna takes on a job in the remote
province of Slaradun. The prince is irate to find that this limping
woman has replaced the able-bodied man he hired, but according to the
contract, he’s stuck with her for the season. Darna finds the prince
arrogant and high-handed, but he’s also intelligent and well-read. As
winter closes in on Slaradun keep, late night conversations turn from
sea walls to more intimate territory, and the province’s lost dragon
reappears.

This book is the second in the Dragonsfall trilogy. To enjoy it
properly, read The Defenders' Apprentice first, and perhaps also the
beginning of Darna’s story in the prequel novels, Scrapplings and
Priestess.

Excerpt:

“This place isn’t safe for you,” he said. “I think you should go
stay in the temple.”

“Don’t be ridiculous; I’ve lived here for years.” Darna looked over
her shoulder and drew the curtains across that last gap. “Is it
something to do with Tiadun?”

Thorat nodded. “Was the prince of Tiadun your father?”

“I don’t know.” He might have been. After all, her mother had been a
priestess and might have lain with any number of men, including the
prince of their province, but no man was supposed to claim a
priestess’s child as his own, though they did when it suited them.
The prince had tried to claim her. He’d sponsored her priestess training,
possibly because she’d stood as proof that he could sire a child,
although a girl child wouldn’t normally inherit the throne. He’d
needed that, not that it had done him any good in the end.

“He’s dead now, so it doesn’t matter.”

Thorat shook his head. “That’s the trouble. It does matter. Calar,
his brother, your uncle, he found out about you. He wants you dead.
He’s offered a land grant, a rather large land grant, and a share
of the Cerean trade in dragon stones to the man who kills you.”

“Kills me? Me?” Darna’s voice squeaked. “Why?”

“I don’t know all of it,” Thorat said, running his hand through his
hair. His hand looked strong, competent. He had a good longsword
which he knew how to use. Maybe he would protect her, not that
she’d ever needed protection before.

“You don’t know all of what?” Darna asked. If she was going to be
murdered, she’d like to know why.

“He had your father murdered.”

“I don’t know that he was my father.” The idea that Calar had killed his
brother, the prince, was not at all surprising.

“The prince looks like you. Looked like you. He had the same
expressions. I believe he was your father, even though you’re not
like any other princess I’ve seen.”

“I wasn’t raised to be a princess.”

“You weren’t raised at all. You’re half-wild.”

“Exactly,” Darna said, “but now I’m also a full initiate of the
Guild of Planners.”

“Congratulations. I didn’t know that.”

“They blessed my masterwork this past winter, just before Tiada was
killed.” Tiada was the dragon and guardian deity of her home
province. Dragons were supposed to live forever, as long as the
land, so now her homeland was dead. The death of the dragon meant
far more to her than the death of a man ever could, even if that
man had sired her, and that was far from certain. Thorat had been
there at Tiada’s death. That much she knew, though the details of
why he’d been there were not entirely clear.

“You know about that?” Thorat asked.

“Iola thought I should know. She said that Tiada had joined the
deepest stream, and that that was different from death, though it
looks the same to us on the surface. She knew that I was Tiada’s
child.” Darna had sensed the absence of the dragon before Iola had
told her about it.

“And not the prince’s,” Thorat mused.

“I have no interest in being connected to the prince of Tiadun,”
Darna said. “He had nothing that I wanted. Everyone knows that.
Besides, it wouldn’t make any difference. Why would Calar want me
dead?” She did know her alleged uncle’s name. She kept track of
what was happening in Tiadun, just in case. “I’m no threat to him.”

Monday, September 26, 2016

About Courting Trouble:

Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of
an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the
run together.

Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eek out a living on the
independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under
the radar of those pursuing them.

But when Anjali and Mikhail stumble upon a protection racket during a
routine shopping trip, they have to make a choice: Lay low to avoid
attracting attention or stay true to their personal ethics and
intervene?

This is a story of 6700 words or approx. 23 print pages in the In Love and War series, but may be read as a standalone.

Excerpt:

Djamila was an unremarkable dustball of a planet, notable only for
one thing, its strategic location along one of the major trade routes
between the Republic of United Planets and the independent worlds on the
galactic rim.
Its main trade hub was the city of Demirkan on the North Continent, a
sprawling metropolis that had sprung up around the planet’s biggest
spaceport, nestled at the foot of a mountain range.
Next to the spaceport, the most important structure in Demirkan was
the Red Market, named for the bright red awnings that shielded shoppers
and vendors alike from the merciless desert sun.
No matter what the hour, the Red Market was always bustling with
activity. Hundreds of vendors were offering goods from a thousand world
to crowds of eager buyers. Legend had it that anything in the galaxy
could be found at the Red Market, either above or below the counter.
Two figures briskly made their way through the labyrinthine passages
of the Red Market. A man and a woman, both in their mid twenties,
walking side by side in the perfect synchronicity born of close
companionship.
The man was tall and lanky, though he moved with the natural grace of
a trained fighter. His hair was dark and fell down to his shoulders.
His skin was uncommonly pale, his eyes were a striking blue. He was clad
all in black — boots, utility pants, shirt, all topped by a long coat
of black synth-leather, that also concealed the blaster he wore in a
shoulder holster. This was Captain Mikhail Alexeievich Grikov, formerly
of the Republican Special Commando Forces.
The woman by his side was a good head shorter, with brown skin, dark
eyes and glossy black hair she wore tied back into a single long braid.
Like her companion, she wore utilitarian clothing, though she had opted
for a tunic of flowing synth-silk in bright colours with a matching
scarf rather than the stark black her companion favoured. She, too, was
armed, with a blaster on one hip and a dagger on the other. This was
Lieutenant Anjali Patel, formerly of the Imperial Shakyri Expeditionary
Corps.
Djamila was a harsh world and Demirkan a harsh city. And while the
Red Market might be a place of wonder, it was also a place of danger,
its passages prowled by various gangs in search of easy prey.
But even the most hardened criminals of Demirkan knew better than to
bother the pair that strolled across the Red Market, preferring to give
them a wide berth instead. For Mikhail Grikov and Anjali Patel radiated
danger, which was not surprising, considering they were two of the
deadliest fighters in the galaxy. They were also on the run.
The Republic of United Planets and the Empire of Worlds had been at
war for eighty-eight years now, grinding up generations of soldiers in
endless battles. Mikhail and Anjali had been two of those soldiers, the
best their respective governments had to offer. They’d met on the
battlefield, fought, but failed to kill each other and finally had taken
each other prisoner. And somewhere along the way, they’d managed to
fall in love and decided to run away together, deserters and traitors to
the Republic and the Empire both.
The Republic and the Empire might not be able to agree on anything,
but there was one issue in which they were curiously of one mind. The
traitors Patel and Grikov had to be found and brought to justice,
whatever the cost.
So Mikhail and Anjali had fled to the independent rim worlds, the
only place where they could live in relative peace, working as security,
mercenaries, muscle-for-hire and hopping from world to world, always
trying to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. And today, their flight
had brought them to Djamila, to the Red Market in the city of Demirkan.
Though the exact purpose that had brought them to the Red Market
today was not escape or even work — no, the reason was something far
more prosaic. Mikhail and Anjali were shopping for groceries. Or rather,
Anjali was shopping for groceries, while Mikhail was tagging along.
“What about that one?”
He pointed at a stall that was selling a bewildering variety of
powdered spices and dry goods that to his uneducated eyes looked exactly
like the sort of thing Anjali was looking for.
“Oh no, that won’t do at all,” Anjali replied, “The quality is bad,
the spices are old, preserved by irradiation and quite possibly
adulterated as well. They add yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, bran
or even sawdust, you know?”
To be honest, Mikhail hadn’t known that. “I bow to your superior
knowledge,” he said with a smile, wondering how in the universe Anjali
could tell all that without a thorough chemical analysis, for he sure as
hell couldn’t. But then, Anjali had some genetic enhancements, courtesy
of her former masters, that he lacked.
“That man at the spaceport said there was a Rajipuri spice merchant
somewhere here at the Red Market. We only have to find him or her.”
Rajipuri was Anjali’s homeworld, commonly referred to as the jewel in
the Imperial crown, for it kept the Empire supplied with fierce
warriors, powdered spices, brightly patterned synth-silk and intricate
jewellery. All the finest quality in the galaxy, or so Anjali insisted.
“How about asking for directions?” Mikhail suggested, “Rajipuri merchants can’t be too common, this far from the Empire.”
“I’m a Shakyri warrior. We never ask for directions.”

About Cora Buhlert:

Cora Buhlert was
born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time
spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA
degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently
working towards her PhD.

Cora has been writing, since she was a teenager, and has published
stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. She is
the author of the Silencer series of pulp style thrillers, the Shattered
Empire space opera series, the In Love and War science fiction romance series, the Helen Shepherd Mysteries and plenty of
standalone stories in multiple genres. When Cora is not writing, she
works as a translator and teacher.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with a lot of listicles, the 50th anniversaries of Star Trek and Raumpatrouille Orion, tributes to Dave Kyle, the Emmys and other awards as well as the usual mix
of writing advice,
interviews, reviews, awards news, con
reports, science articles and free online fiction.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

About Stem:

After escaping the extermination of everyone they loved, Rome and Mae seek revenge.

However, the world outside their city sized prison is too busy to
care. They form a desperate friendship with an unlucky Zoo guide,
caught in the wrong place at the right time. Together they face the
forces of a corrupt government, a sensationalist media, and an apathetic
public.

And they only have a week left to live.

Suspenseful, political and awash with colourful characters and epic set pieces.

Stem the sequel to sci-fi hit Pollen, builds to a finale that pits hero against hero.

Excerpt:

“Don’t fuck this up,” Henry whispered to himself.Henry Underhill, a graduate of the CSKU Academy for Advanced
Engineering, and yet most days he felt like a chump. He clapped his
hands together; he winced at the sting and watched the spit of
sweat fly off in all directions.This was his first class ticket to be free of Rita. Her name ebbed
into him, like water through a crack in the sea wall. The dismal
feeling pulled him toward a dark sinkhole at the centre of his living room. He liked the idea of his sinkhole;
it was full of things that couldn't hurt him, things he was the
master of, books to read, games to win. No Rita. No heart-pounding
chaos.He sighed. He loved the heart-pounding chaos.He took a big gulp of water and a final look around his apartment.
Tidy, nothing embarrassing, but enough knick-knacks to spark
conversation.He flicked his holoprojectors on and the room lit up. A beautiful
blue light filled his home, and then overlaid a waiting room in a
fancy hotel in perfectly replicated 3D.“Just ask questions,” Henry said to himself.His brother had done this a thousand times and had been coaching
Henry for weeks.“Don't compare anyone to Rita.”The waiting room turned green.“Welcome, Henry Underhill,” the host of the waiting room said.No projection, a bodiless but pleasant voice.“Your premium membership enables you access to the best Life-Swipe
has to offer. We have matched you with several women based on your
biometric data and preference settings. Relax, enjoy the dates, and
remember: you've got five minutes per date. If you don’t like,
swipe! Have fun, Henry.”Henry’s room then split. Half, his room; the other half of the room
lit up with a stranger’s living room. Neat and tidy too,
bookshelves, paintings on the wall. Henry relaxed.“Oh, hi,” said the projection of a woman beamed into the room.Curly red hair, cool green eyes with a big bright necklace; she
looked like she was ready for a night at the opera. He saw from her
quick facts file she was two months older than him, and liked the
same music.“So. Five minutes,” she said softly.“Yeah, what can you do in five minutes?” Henry laughed weakly.“I beg your pardon?”“I mean, you know, five minutes is no time at all. You have to get
right into it, don't you?”“Right into what?”“Conversation.”“Oh sure! Sorry, for a second I thought you'd come to the wrong
kinda dating site.”“I hope not. So let's get down to it!”“Seriously? You want that kinda date? I'm not that person.”“What? I'm confused. I’m not here for a sex ...”SWIPE.“Right,” said Henry. “Fucked that up then.”“Sorry Henry,” said the host voice as the projection flicked back
to the waiting room. “Would you like feedback?”“Sure,” he said nervously.“Your feedback is, ‘I think he was after a sex line’.”

About Aaron D. Lamb:

Aaron Lamb born in the Medway Towns, grew up in the gritty terrace
housing of a main road to an industrial estate. Wrote his first novel
aged 11 and hasn't stop telling stories since.He has trekked
extensively around the wilderness of Norway and Finland, ran a cabaret
show in London's Soho for four years, ran an ultra marathon and has
lived in Eastern Cambodia.He now lives in Australia with his wife in
a little flat with a fantastic garden and enjoys a beer in the evening
and cooking interesting dinners!

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

About Graveyard Shift:

While docked at the civilian space station Unity for repairs, the
Republic of United Planets battlecruiser Great Endeavour undertakes a
trial flight with an inexperienced bridge crew. Disaster strikes and the
Great Endeavour crashes into Unity's shopping concourse, killing more
than three hundred people.

A tragic accident, but in times of war, the public is not willing to
accept tragic accidents. And so the Republic's government sends its
best troubleshooter, Colonel Brian Mayhew of the Republican Special
Commando Forces to initiate a cover-up.

This is a novelette of 14100 words or approx. 48 print pages in the In Love and War series, but may be read as a standalone.

Excerpt:

At the same time, Katharina Woywood, Captain of the Republic of United Planets battlecruiser Great Endeavour, was having dinner with Alfonso Gutierrez, Station Commander of Unity.
Katharina Woywood was forty-two years old with dark eyes, lightly
tanned skin and dark hair that she wore in a severe bun at the nape of
her neck. She’d been Captain of the Great Endeavour for six years now and wore the uniform well. But the Great Endeavour was not where her career would culminate. No, Katharina was going places. She’d make Commodore one day, perhaps even Admiral.
But for now, she was enjoying the downtime — enforced though it was —
food that was not the standard shipboard grub for once and the company
of Commander Gutierrez who was not just an attentive host, but handsome
to boot.
They were having dinner in a room reserved for special functions, a circular chamber at the very top of Unity’s central pylon covered by a glass dome. The view was breathtaking. The planet of Legrelle far below, Unity’s
revolving multi-ring structure all around and finally the stars above.
It was like dining in deep space, only without the suffocation and
explosive decompression.
Katharina regaled Commander Gutierrez with war stories of the Great Endeavour’s
many adventures and her part in the battle of Zatar, all the while
wondering what it would take to seduce the Commander and make love with
him right here under the stars.
Katharina was torn out of her reverie, when the Commander suddenly scrunched his rather attractive forehead in a frown.
“Captain?” he asked, pointing at something behind her, “Isn’t that your ship?”
Katharina turned around and spotted the unmistakable outline of the Great Endeavour where it definitely wasn’t supposed to be.
“What the hell?” Katharina rose to her feet and walked up to the very edge of the glass dome. “I did not authorise this.”
Commander Gutierrez wandered over to join her. “Might just be a trial flight,” he said.
“I still didn’t authorise this. And the duty officer…” Blast, what
was the name of the new third officer again? “…has strict orders to get
my authorisation for any unplanned operation, no matter how small.”
“I’ll call docking control,” Commander Gutierrez said and promptly did, “Docking control? What’s the Great Endeavour doing outside its berth?”
“They requested permission to undock maybe two minutes ago,” the bored voice of the docking officer replied.
“And why?” Katharina demanded.
The docking officer’s shrug was almost audible over the com. “Trial flight, they said.”
“I did not authorise any trial flights,” Katharina insisted. She pulled out her com unit and called the bridge. “Great Endeavour, what in blue blazes are you doing outside the repair dock?”
“I’m sorry, but the bridge crew is currently busy with crucial flight manoeuvres. Please stand by.”
The voice from the com unit was young, unfamiliar and female. But then, the Great Endeavour had gotten in a bunch of cadets fresh from the Academy two days ago. Must be one of them.
“I can see you’re busy with flight manoeuvres,” Katharina snapped,
“Unauthorised flight manoeuvres. And now give me the duty officer.”
“I’m sorry, but Commander Flynn is busy right now. Please stand by.”
Flynn — yes, that was the new third officer’s name. Though he
wouldn’t be third officer for much longer, once Katharina got her hands
on him.
“Do you have any idea who you’re talking to, nitwit? This is your Captain. And now put me through to Flynn.”
“Yes, sir…” Katharina could almost picture the com officer snapping to attention. “I mean, ma’am. Sir.”
Katharina was about to order the girl to put her through to Flynn again, but before she could, Gutierrez interrupted her.
“What the hell are they doing?” he exclaimed.
Whatever the Great Endeavour was doing, it was clearly wrong. The ship was too close to the docking clamps. It would…
And then it did. Katharina watched as her ship collided with the
docking clamps and scraped along the length of the clamps. She winced,
feeling the scratches in the hull of the Great Endeavour as if they were injuries to her own body.
“Give me Flynn now,” she yelled into her com unit.
“Your pilot is incompetent and a bloody idiot”, Commander Gutierrez remarked.
It was unlikely that the pilot had heard him over the open com.
Nonetheless, he proved that he indeed was both incompetent and a bloody
idiot and should never have been let out of the simulator, because he
clearly panicked and made a mistake that would have made a beginner
blush.
“No, no, what are you doing, idiot?” Commander Gutierrez exclaimed.
“Stop the bloody ship now,” Katharina yelled into her com unit, “Shoot the pilot, if you have to, just stop it!”
But it was too late. A split second later, alarm klaxons went off all over Unity.

About Cora Buhlert:

Cora Buhlert was
born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time
spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA
degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently
working towards her PhD. Cora has been writing since she was a teenager,
and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international
magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and
teacher.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Here is our weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative
fiction from
around the web, this week with Star Trek's 50th anniversary, the three fractions of speculative fiction, plenty of WorldCon and DragonCon con reportsas well as the usual mix
of writing advice,
interviews, reviews, awards news, con
reports, crowdfunding projects and free online fiction.

About the Speculative Fiction Showcase

We are a blog about all things indie science fiction, fantasy and horror. Read interviews with and guest posts by spec fic writers and keep current on news from the SFF world and the latest spec-fic releases.